The Trump coalition is shattered - what will Republicans do now?

Republicans are in soul-searching mode after the coalition that powered Donald Trump to three straight presidential nominations imploded in spectacular fashion in the 2026 midterms. But there are no easy answers as Republicans face the choice of doubling down on Trumpism or trying to chart a new path forward in his final years in office. The depth of the problem was captured by outgoing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who called the midterms "close to an extinction-level event for Republicans".

Others struck a more optimistic tone. Vice-President JD Vance, who blamed the midterm results on public anger over the war with Iran, argued the party could turn things around. Nevertheless Vance acknowledged the fallout will be messy.

The wide range of reactions on the right highlights deep fault lines in the party that formed around Trump's improbable rise to the presidency in 2016 and never really went away. It's too early to tell which faction will win out. But while Republicans are still licking their wounds, the intraparty battle Vance predicted is already under way.